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DRIVING THE DAY: E-911 AND IP TRANSITION HEADLINE FCC MEETING — The commission plans to get the ball rolling today on a series of experiments designed to tell America what’s going to happen when the remnants of the old telephone network go dark. While the nation’s telecommunications carriers have been switching over to the Internet protocol operations, the old copper-based TDM system still exists and is still being used. Today, the commission is scheduled to vote on several actions that will drive a series of tests that the agency can use as it tries to figure out a plan for the switch. For background, revisit Brooks’ primer: http://politico.pro/1lnaK8S

The commission is also scheduled consider a policy statement and a proposed rulemaking that pushes wireless carriers other than the Big 4 to implement text-to-911. While Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to adopt text-to-911 services by May 15, Chairman Tom Wheeler is aiming to extend the agreement to include texting on so-called over-the-top Internet protocol-based services like Apple’s iMessage. More again, from Brooks: http://politico.pro/1cqBkTX

Also on tap are presentations by the Incentive Auction Task Force and the FCC process reform working group.

--PLUS: THE MARCH ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP: It isn’t on the agenda for today, but industry sources tell Brooks Chairman Wheeler has been talking media ownership reform this week. While a proposal was being shopped on the 8th Floor that included a clamp down on TV station shared services agreements, it was deemed not ready for primetime. Action on the issue looks more likely in March.

BUZZ: EXECS CALL FOR E-RATE CASH -- Nearly 50 top CEOs have signed onto a letter out this morning urging Wheeler to ensure that adequate funding is available to connect 99 percent of students to high-speed broadband through the revamp of the E-Rate program. The letter was spearheaded by EducationSuperHighway, a non-profit funded by the Zuckerberg and Gates Foundations. “The FCC must act boldly to modernize the E-Rate program to provide the capital needed to upgrade our K-12 broadband connectivity and Wi-Fi infrastructure within the next five years,” the letter says. Some signatories on the letter include Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt; Hewlett-Packard Company CEO Meg Whitman; George Lucas Educational Foundation Chairman George Lucas; Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg; Khan Academy Executive Director Sal Khan; and Amplify CEO Joel Klein. Read the full letter: http://politico.pro/1hOBABg

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING and welcome to Morning Tech, where our Super Bowl plans are starting to coalesce. You don’t mind if we start the countdown today, do you? Regardless, we’ll still be clued into the day’s tech news, so hit us up at abyers@politico.com and @byersalex, and catch the rest of the team’s contact info after speed read.

EXCLUSIVE TO PROS LATER TODAY: POLITICO Pro will publish a special report on President Barack Obama’s executive power maneuvers, with a dozen stories looking at virtually every area of regulation, rule-making and executive action coming from the administration. The special report will dive into the president’s State of the Union promises and will reveal a much deeper regulatory and executive power agenda for the final years of Obama’s term. Look out for an email later this evening, customized to your policy interests.

FACEBOOK PAC BACKS PRIVACY-MINDED POLS — Facebook’s political action committee dropped $128,000 on federal candidates’ campaign efforts in the last half of 2013, FEC filings published Wednesday show. The social network gave to around 50 lawmakers, including six of the nine legislators on the House privacy task force formed in August, who received around $10,000 from the committee. The group also dished some funding to Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Sen. Dean Heller, who co-sponsor bills in their respective chambers that would give tech companies more leeway to reveal the amount of surveillance orders they receive from the government. Judiciary chairmen Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, who have jurisdiction over those efforts, were also among those supported by Menlo Park. In the first half of the year, the PAC — like most of its tech industry brethren — focused on lawmakers heavy in the immigration debate. Full list here: http://1.usa.gov/1byPkvq

**A message from the Innovation Alliance: For more than 200 years, patents have made our lives better by creating jobs and fostering economic growth. Now, misdirected patent legislation is threatening the bedrock of innovation. #patentsmatter Learn more about protecting America’s inventors at: http://www.savetheinventor.com **

VALLEY REACHES OUT ON IMMIGRATION AHEAD OF GOP RETREAT — The GOP could release its immigration framework as soon as today, and the tech set wants to make sure Republicans don't squander their chance for reform. Much like the president's gentle tone on the issue during the State of the Union, supporters are encouraging lawmakers with personal emails and encouraging words. “We understand the challenges of being out in front on the issue of immigration reform at this pivotal moment,” Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino wrote to key Republicans before the retreat where they will discuss the issue. “We stand with you and are ready to support you for meaningful reform that strengthens our economy for all of our workers — high-tech, low-tech and no-tech." He reminded lawmakers that nearly 400 Silicon Valley companies want them "to remain a vocal proponent in conversations with your peers about the vital importance of immigration reform to our country’s ability to innovate, grow the economy and jobs, and remain globally competitive.” Jessica has more on tech's plans now that immigration reform is back in the spotlight: http://politico.pro/1lndses

FIRST LOOK: MANUFACTURING GROUP STEPS OUT ON SOFTWARE PIRACY — The National Association of Manufacturers is out with a new report today on software piracy and how it’s not just a problem for incumbent tech firms. IP infringement has cost more than 40,000 manufacturing jobs and $240 billion in revenue for the industry over the last ten years, the report alleges. The crux of the problem, the group says, is that U.S. manufacturers invest resources on high-tech software, while the manufacturers in emerging markets who take the IP gain a competitive advantage by saving cash. “Far too many businesses in emerging markets steal IT as a means to compete unfairly with manufacturers who follow the law, costing the U.S. economy jobs, revenue and GDP,” the study says. Full report out this morning at a NAM event with manufacturing execs.

BSA: U.S. NEEDS TO THWART ‘DIGITAL PROTECTIONISM’ -- Pro Trade’s Doug Palmer has the story this morning: “A new software industry report today urges the United States to lead the way in tearing down barriers to doing business over the Internet and not let other countries use concerns about U.S. surveillance activities to justify ‘digital protectionism.’ The software industry also has benefited from the rapid growth of the Internet, with global revenues doubling from $180 billion in 2000 to nearly $360 billion in 2012...But along with the rapid growth of the Internet economy, ‘a new wave of digital protectionism has been taking hold in many of the world’s fastest-growing economy,’ the report said. Those include restrictions on commercial data flows across borders, nationalistic technology-certification and standards policies, favoritism in government procurement policies for locally made information technology products and widespread intellectual property theft, all of which the United States should attack in trade negotiations, the report said.” MORE, for Pros:http://politico.pro/1iOnAef

HILL TEES UP MORE SURVEILLANCE CHATTER — Deputy Attorney General James Cole will be the administration’s chief witness at next week’s FISA reform hearing in the House, according to the witness list being circulated. PCLOB’s David Medine will testify as well, and he’ll be joined by ITI boss Dean Garfield and Peter Swire, who served on the president’s intel review group. Elsewhere, the Senate Judiciary Committee is setting up another pass at examining suggestions given to President Obama about reforming the nation’s intelligence programs. This time, it’ll welcome the full Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, for a Feb. 12 chat.

TODAY: FACEBOOK’S NEW Q&A EFFORT WITH BOOKER, GILLIBRAND — The social network is rolling out what it’s calling its “open dialogue series,” a Q&A initiative designed to get policymakers talking to constituents in real-time. The series starts with N.J. Sen. Cory Booker and New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand this afternoon — the two legislators will be answering questions on their Facebook pages at around 3:15 p.m. The topic: unemployment insurance.

SPEED READ

WHY THEY CAN’T AGREE ON SNOWDEN: Peter Swire says it comes down to a determination of what values are best to oversee the web. More in WaPo: http://wapo.st/1eyAOVs

**A message from the Innovation Alliance: The U.S. patent system is the world’s gold standard for protecting the rights of inventors, and the foundation of the United States’ innovative edge for two centuries. But misdirected legislation, if passed, could weaken U.S. patents, leaving small businesses, universities and the most innovative, job-creating American industries vulnerable to the theft of their ideas and inventions. Learn more at: http://www.savetheinventor.com**